Kourabiethes Recipe

The classic Greek Kourabiedes, or Butter Cookies, are soft, buttery, sugar-dusted treats that melt in your mouth! If you are anything like my family, you will love these delicious festive cookies. 

These classic cookies are made for Christmas, weddings, or other celebrations. Rich in butter, roasted almonds, and the scent of orange or rose water, these cookies are unique. So join me as we explore Greek tradition.

If you like Greek cuisine, you will love Greek Salad, Greek Yoghurt, and Tzatziki. We can say they are regular in my place.

Jump to:

• What Are Kourabiethes?
• Ingredients for Kourabiedes
• How to Make Kourabiedes at Home
• Variations to Greek Almond Cookies
• Protips for Perfect Kourabiedes Cookies
• Related Recipes
• Kourabiedes Recipe

Why MSK  Greek Kourabiethes recipe

• You will love these  Kourabiedes cookies as they are simple and elegant. 
• They melt in your mouth, and the festive smell as you bake is delicious.
• They are perfect for your festive tray and gifting. 
• Baking these cookies brings a smile to my face as I remember Akanksha making them with me. 

What Are Kourabiethes?

Kourabiedes (also spelt Kourabiethes) are traditional Greek almond shortbread cookies.

Though I am calling these Greek cookies, they are popular in Arab, Balkan, and Ottoman cuisines, with slight variations. Hence, other names include Qurabiya, also ghraybe, ghorayeba, ghoriba, ghribia, ghraïba, gurabija, ghriyyaba. 

These cookies are baked till they are pale golden in colour. The warm cookies are rolled in powdered sugar. Giving them a look of soft snowballs, crisp outside but soft and buttery inside.

Ingredients for Kourabiedes

The ingredients for classic Kourabiedes:

• Butter: You can start with fresh unsalted butter, but I never have space for 2 butter packages in my crowded fridge. I use regular salted butter. The brand I favour is Amul. You can choose any you can lay your hands on. 
• Icing Sugar: Sieve the icing sugar, or run it in the mixer once before sieving. Gets rid of lumps. Now you can use powdered sugar, too; however, I have not tried it. 
• All-Purpose Flour: Use sifted flour.
• Baking Powder: Add to the flour before sifting. 
• Almonds: Toast the almonds until aromatic, cool, then pulse. 
• Zest: Finely grated orange zest.
• Egg: Use at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract: For aroma.
• Powdered sugar - for coating

Optional Ingredients:

• Rose  Water: In the traditional cookies, either rose water or orange blossom water is used. I am not comfortable using the rose water available in our markets for eating, and orange blossom water is not available, so I skip. If you can source the ingredient, please use it. 
• Pinch of salt: if using unsalted butter, do not skip adding salt. 
• Brandy: Again, brandy is added traditionally to make these cookies. I don't. 

How to Make Kourabiedes at Home

The steps for making these yummy Greek-style Snowball cookies are simple.

• Toast the almonds till golden. Cool, pulse and crush them. 
• Beat the butter, 1 cup icing sugar, vanilla and orange rind.
• Beat in the egg and rose water and/or brandy if adding.

• Sift the flour and baking powder, then mix to form a soft dough. 
• Fold the almond meal and form a disc. 

• Cover and chill for 30 minutes. 

• Shape the cookies into crescents or small, smooth balls.

• Bake on a greased tray in a preheated oven at 160 °C for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
• Cool them on trays for 5 minutes to firm up. 
• Transfer the cookies to the bowl of sugar and coat them while they are still warm. 
• Cool on the wire rack.
• Sift any remaining icing sugar over biscuits when cool.

How to shape the crescent Kourabiedes

• Shape the cookies into a small 2-inch log. 
• Then gently curve the log into a crescent.
• Take the easy way out and make small balls.

Variations to Greek Almond Cookies

• I have seen some recipes that have swapped the flour for plain almond flour. I have not tried it for
  • I live in a hot, year-round climate, so handling the dough is tough. I would rather not make my work more difficult. I need the flour for binding.
  • I may swap the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour as a concession, but never tried it. Do not plan to; if you try, please let me know. 
• Use powdered sugar in place of icing sugar. 
• Instead of almonds, use cashew nuts. I like the idea, since cashews are easy to get in my part of the world. 
• In place of vanilla, add an indian touch with crushed cardamom powder.

Serving Tips and Gifting Ideas

• Serve with coffee or cappuccino for a Greek touch.
• I like Kourabiedes with my Chai. They pair well with adrakwali chai.
• To gift these cookies,  line a tin with parchment paper and place the cookies in it. For a festive touch, I will use red and green ribbons. 

Protips for Perfect Kourabiedes Cookies

• Use a food processor or a hand-held blender; it will make mixing quick and easy.
• The flavour of the cookies depends on good, fresh butter.
• Cool the toasted almonds completely. Pulse the almonds to crush them.
• Shape the cookies with a light hand; there should be no cracks.
• Pop the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking them.
• Do not overbake the cookies so that they do not dry out; they should come out of the oven pale. 
• The sugar coats the cookies while still warm.
• Remember, these cookies are very delicate. I had quite broken ones.

Storage of Kourabiedes in Indian Weather

• Store the cookies in airtight tins; they last 2-3 weeks easily.
• If, like me, you live in a hot and humid climate, add a pack of silica gel. And finish the cookies in 1 week.
• I know it is tempting to store the cookies in the fridge, but avoid that and keep them in a relatively cool cupboard.

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Summary

Kourabiethes soft, buttery Greek almond cookies, are rolled in snowy powdered sugar. These festive cookies are tender, crumbly, and melt in your mouth with every bite. 
In Greece, these are festive favourites served at celebrations. They make edible gifts using simple ingredients and quick steps.
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